Fate's Creed
by Duncan McNeil
Summary: A mysterious Akatsuki member, unknown to the world, is embroiled in a bitter conflict with elite members of the Konoha ANBU. When it is revealed that he possesses the Sharingan, things get decidedly tricky...
1. Prologue

**Fate's Creed**

****

This _Fiction_ is rated _Teen_ for elements of _Violence_,  
_Suggestive Themes_ and _Profanity_.

**_Reader Discretion_ is advised.**

_Prologue_

The blood thundered in my ears, as my mind cleared and my focus became razor sharp. The thrill of the kill overtook me, making my palms begin to sweat.

With little conscious effort, I dropped a hand into my pocket, my hand carefully grasping the cloth-wrapped handle of the kunai that was deposited there.

_His life...is mine._

My lips curled into a grin as I took a step forward, bringing my quarry into full view. He was, by all accounts, an intimidating presence. He stood tall, casting a six-foot long shadow at his feet. His long, sweat-drenched brown hair fell onto his face, and with an audible sigh he swept it back.

His clothes were of a peasant farmer, no doubt. Rough hands held the tools of his new trade: a hoe and shovel. The man shook his head and brought his attention back to his work.

Satisfied, I brought my gaze back up to his surroundings. The man stood in the middle of a rich brown field, surrounded on all sides by thick trees. A small house sat on the far end of the field, with a lazy column of smoke from the chimney spiraling upward into the sky.

No problems here, either. It almost seemed too easy, but who was I to question my good fortune?

Without a second thought, my hand twitched upward, withdrawing the kunai and flicking it at the farmer. It burrowed itself into his chest, and he fell with a pained cry.

Cursing my poor shot, I leapt from my perch and sprinted to the man's side, my dutiful chakra helping to propel me at superhuman speeds. A short second later, I stood beside the man.

"Persistant, aren't you?"

The man's face paled. "Wh-what...?"

The hollow shell of a smile turned my lips. "I have just given you a way out, yet you persistantly cling to life. Why is that, I wonder..."

A shiver ran through the man's body as waves of recognition washed over him. "Please...I'm not the same person as before...I have a family...children..."

The breeze picked up, filling the air with the gentle sounds of trees blowing the wind. The moment was tense, charged, _alive_.

"...Do not worry."

Suddenly the man's face lit up, the possibility of a last minute reprieve seeming to be almost too much for him. "I-I, will you...?"

The question seemed to hang in the air, awaiting my answer. My narrowed eyes rolled across his face, taking in the shining hope that was seemingly etched into his very being.

"They will join you shortly."

Faster than the man could respond, I withdrew another kunai and drove it into the man's heart, this time on target. His lips fell apart slowly, and his eyes closed. Dead, no doubt.

A smile, a true one this time, crept upon my lips. I had waited too long for this. Without a second thought, I knelt down and withdrew the pair of kunai out of the man's body and stood up.

The sounds of the breeze fell off, and silence overtook the area. The smile still lingering, I wiped my hands on my long, black robe. The blood smeared one of the large red clouds that lay upon its dark surface, but it was no matter.

I slowly turned to the house in the distance. To work...


	2. Volume 1

**Fate's Creed**

**This **_**Fiction**_** is rated **_**Teen**_** for elements of **_**Violence**_**,  
**_**Suggestive Themes**_** and **_**Profanity**_**.**

_**Reader Discretion**_** is advised.**

Prologue

My stride was quick, and my steps were firm. I held my chin up, smiling like I owned the place. A successful mission could do that to me. And this one...had been that, and more.

In the past few years, ever since I had begun to do missions, the Hokage Tower hadn't changed one bit. The same wooden walls and slightly fading white tile on the floors gave the place somewhat of an old feel, something I wasn't too keen on.

I stopped in front of the door to the Hokage's office, pausing for a moment to calm down and wipe the huge grin off of my face. I imagined I would look quite idiotic grinning at Sarutobi-sama while handing in my mission report.

Emotions somewhat in check, I knocked curtly on the door. After a short moment, an exhausted "Come in" was heard.

I opened the door to see the Hokage sitting at his desk, shuffling the mounds of paperwork on his desk. "Hokage-sama," I said, smiling and nodding at him. "Lots of paperwork, I see?"

The old man wearily smiled and nodded. "Yes yes. It's good to see you, my boy. I trust your mission went well...?"

My excitement could no longer be contained, and I broke out in a huge smile. "Sir, my mission went excellently," I babbled, handing him the red folder containing the mission report. "In fact, something really important happened-"

The old man chuckled. "Katsu, how I envy your energy and excitement. But...you _are _a Chunnin now. Perhaps it is time for you to calm down a bit?"

I paused, letting his words roll around in my head for a moment. "Very wise, very wise, Hokage-sama..." I said, nodding. "But anyway, something really important happened!"

He laughed heartily. "Well_ that _was an improvement!" he exclaimed. "Do go on."

I nodded impatiently. "Sir,_ I found Orochimaru_!"

The soft sound of the river running across my hands was absolutely serene. The fresh, clear air filled my lungs with a wonderful sense of refreshment that I so sorely needed. My eyes slowly opened and looked down at my hands.

Blood lazily washed off in the fast flowing water, drifting off and fading into the clean liquid. Somewhat curiously, I pulled my hands out of the water to examine them. They were pale, so pale...

Despite the water's best effort, the stubborn blood of those I had killed remained on my hands. The thought brought a smile to my face. How...symbolic. The last remainders of their deaths refused to be brushed away, to be forgotten.

But no one could kid themselves. Everyone would be forgotten, one day. No one was immortal, were they?

I chuckled softly, lifting my Akatsuki robe and drying my hands with it. Pulling my hands back, the blood was gone, only a fading memory now. They all were like that, in the end.

My gaze rose, and I checked my surroundings once again. No one was near, and nothing but the tranquil setting of nature remained at my sides. The large river cut a long swath through the thick forest, lending the area a very secluded feel.

Yes, it was safe to rest here, I deemed. Reaching back, I flicked one of my long, pale fingers behind my head, unfastening my hitai-ate. It fell into my awaiting hand, and I paused to examine it.

The Konoha Leaf pattern was displayed promently on the protector, with a deep slash running across it. A rather obvious sign that I was no typical shinobi. In fact, most people knew that was the typical way to show I was a missing-nin. Of course, my long black Akatsuki robes with red cloud patterns was a bigger giveaway, I always thought.

Sighing, I set it down and pulled off my robe. A black undershirt and pants made me look much more like a normal shinobi now. I leaned over the river, looking down at my reflection. I had a long face, just like most of my clan. Long, black hair topped my head and black eyes rounded out my appearence.

My hand reached down and spashed a bit of the cold water on my face. It felt good, as the water was purer than anything I had seen in a while. I kicked back, confident in the fact that I could rest a bit finally.

"Okay, this is it."

I smiled to myself, imagining the glory that was about to be mine. Single-handedly defeating one of, no _the _S-class criminal would forever cast me above the realm of ordinary shinobi. Softly chuckling, I turned once more to examine what I had come so far to find.

Miles and miles of sand surrounded me on all sides. The entrance to Orochimaru's hideout was well hidden to the extreme. Miles away from any village, to those who did not know it was there it looked merely like the rest of the vast expanse of sand. In fact, it looked a lot like that to me right then, but I knew there was a way of finding out.

I closed my eyes and began focusing my chakra. This was easy, now. Only a few seconds later, my eyes opened, transformed. The usual black had gained a red to it, and a circling shuriken shape appeared around my pupil.

My Sharingan, though not perfected, could easily see through the illusion of sand only a few yards in front of me. It was a cleverly crafted genjutsu, but the fact that I had seen it so easily disturbed me. Surely he would have expected an Uchiha to be looking for him...?

I began examining the genjutsu more throughly. It looked to the naked eye like any other patch of sand, but in fact it was concealing the entrance to a ladder that descended down into the depths of the desert. After a moment of fruitless search, I gave it up as an oversight on his part and took a step forward.

Instantly the sand shifted in front of me, and I jumped backward, alarmed. Within a few moments, the figure of Orochimaru had fully formed out of the sand.

"Well well...an Uchiha has come to visit me? I feel so _honored_."

My eyes flew open and my reflexes sprung into action. In a flash, I was on my feet and leaping out of the way of a flaming jutsu, which impacted the spot where my head had been only a second previously.

Without pausing, I marveled at how they could get so close without my detecting them. There was no doubt, it was high level shinobi I was dealing with. I shot into the air, clapping my hands together to perform a jutsu. With a loud explosion, the area I had been sitting at exploded, sending chunks of dirt and debris flying in all directions.

I landed nimbly only a few yards away from where I had just, only seconds earlier, been sleeping. Instantly, ten figures swept out of the trees, surrounding me. They wore long, pitch black robes with various masks on. All of the masks seemed to be fashioned after an animal, I noticed.

No doubt, the ANBU had finally found me.

I smiled humorlessly. "Very good. I am impressed."

One of the ANBU stepped forward, kunai in hand. "Akatsuki member, you are hopelessly outnumbered. Surrender now and we _may _spare your pathetic life."

I began laughing, a slow, undeniably _evil _laugh. "My my. How you underestimate me..." Almost instantly, I slammed my hands together in preparation for another jutsu. The ANBU didn't hesitate. Two of them blasted the flaming jutsus at me again, which I dodged easily. A moment later I sat behind the leader, kunai at his neck.

"You know, I _could _run. It would be so simple. But I enjoy a challenge..." Before the man could react, with a flash of steel and scarlet he fell to the ground, dead.

My heart leapt as his blood was spilt. How good it felt, killing...

Instantly the ANBU began their onslaught. I smirked at the the ease in which I avoided their attacks. It was almost as if they _wanted _to miss.

I reached into my pocket and withdrew a kunai. Just as I zeroed in on a target, something caught my attention. One of the ANBU wasn't attacking; he was making rapid fire hand signs.

Without a second thought, I flung my kunai at the enemy shinobi, which one of his comrades deflected. I rushed at him, only to feel something grab at my ankles.

I looked down in horror as a vine slowed me just enough for the man to fire his jutsu, which hit me square in the chest. It was another of the flaming jutsu, only much larger this time.

As I arched down to the ground, covered with blazing flame, only one thought ran through my mind.

_Shit._

end


End file.
